Tips for an A+ Singing Audition

Posted by Alex on May 19, 2009 in Blog, Featured Articles | Comments

The summer is approaching and for all you talented people out there its the season of auditions. Its around this time of year that production groups begin to scan the crop to find the stars of thier shows and i hope by reading this you maybe able to pick up a few tips that i have learnt from being on the board of judges in the past.  You may not find all these tips useful depending on your  situation.

TIP 1 – YOUR BIO/APPLICATION: Nowadays most of the time you will have to fill in an application for an audition and in today’s world many of them ask you for your online profile links. This can be a make or break for you. If your like me and you have some rather embarrassing photos on your Facebook  or some other social network don’t include it. The last thing they want to do is say yes to a drunk bimbo who fell asleep on a bench. Keep some of your social networks ‘clean’. My Facebook is for my close friends and people who i want to share silly things with. My twitter is public so i restrain myself a little at times.

TIP 2 – PICK YOUR SONG CAREFULLY: Whether your playing the song or singing it. Its really important to take some time and think about your choice. One thing that got very frustrating over time was hearing the same song over and over again. Bare in mind if the song is really popular the judges would have heard it a thousand times and they don’t want to hear it again. Don get carried away though! That doesn’t mean go and pick a song that no one has ever heard before unless you are really confident it will work in your favour. Pick something that is catchy but not over popular. Maybe pick a song by a popular artists just not the title track.

TIP 3 – APPEARANCE: This may sound obvious but you wouldn’t believe how some people turn up. One in five auditionee’s end up looking like a bag of spuds. Take some time and think about it. Some people seem to think that if they wear a low cut top then they stand a better chance.. its actually quite surprising how low these tops have gone. (Leave something to the imagination ladies)  and for the guys don’t turn up in a t-shirt looking like some reject out of high school musical. Grab a shirt something a little quirky. make sure you stand out but just not in the wrong way!

TIP 4 – DONT BRING THE FAMILY: This is crucial. When i say don’t bring the family i am not saying don’t bring them to the waiting room where they can give you moral support. That’s fine. Many people find this helps them prepare. What you don’t want to do is bring your mom and nan in with you. It so awful for a judge to have to sit there and then have a over protective parent or love sick grandparent hang over them expecting them to say how much grace you have. If you want an honest opinion and you want to show you can stand on your own two feet, keep them on the other side of the door.

TIP 5 – ARRIVE IN PLENTY OF TIME: If you have an audition make sure you arrive at least 20 minutes before,  and even longer if you have to sign in etc. They maybe behind or they maybe ahead and if you end up being early and they can move on to your audition straight away it will please them and they will know that you are reliable and allow for some extra time. Its always wise to bring some reading material with you too. It can get rather boring sitting around and your nerves will eat away at you eventually so keep your mind occupied. That’s why we have iPod’s people!

TIP 6 – CHIT CHAT: Its important that the judges like your singing but its even more important the judges like you! Don’t go in feeling scared just praying for it to be all over. Go in and smile, say hello and answer the questions confidently. You would be amazed how much i like the people who say to me “Good Morning Alex, how are you?”, but don’t take it to far, there is nothing worse than an ass licker. Show that you have respect for them and you are one step closer to that YES you want. Another thing to bare in mind is people like to know your history. If you have a life story chuck it in but keep it simple.

TIP 7 – SHOW YOUR RANGE: Once again this is a great thing to do but if you over do it then it destroys all your chances. Once you have that perfect song, try singing it just a little higher than normal. Show that your voice has range and what your capable of. Chuck in a trill if its appropriate but don’t over do it. Its all about technique and timing. This takes a good audition to a great audition.

TIP 8 – MOVE DAMN YOU, MOVE!: You have hips and arms for a reason. Keep your body free. For gods sake don’t tighten up or you will look really unnatural. Tap to the beat, show expression to the music that you are singing. Use your hands to emphasize words and meaning. This all round makes for a better performance. It’s a simple way to interact with your audience which in this case is the panel of judges.

TIP 9 – AFTERMATH: Once you have finished your audition and the last note has crossed your lips. Don’t take a sigh of relief, stand tall and sharp. Even if you think it could have been better, show that you are still confident and that was a breeze for you. The judges will be amazed by your ability and this could be the seal on the deal. If they think you found it hard work they may be concerned that you wont be able to handle a full performance.

TIP 10 – DONT BEG: If we succeeded all the time we would never learn anything, sometime we wont get the part we want but that doesn’t mean you should turn round after the judges have said no and beg them to reconsider. Don’t try and push another song in their face. Except it and move on. You never know that someone might have to drop out and they may have to call in a replacement. Who would you choose? The one that walked out with grace or the one who begged for a second chance like a whimpering child.

Many of you may read this and say.. “What does he know?”. Well you just try it. You can thank me later.